Boosting Efficiency for Packaging Machine Builders with Tailored Additive Manufacturing Solutions

The food and beverage packaging industry is rapidly changing due to evolving consumer demands, sustainability goals, and the need for cost reduction. Custom additive manufacturing (AM) solutions are emerging as a powerful tool to meet these packaging machinery challenges, offering flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and speed that traditional manufacturing methods can't match.

Challenges facing the Packaging Industry in 2024 and beyond

Innovation and changing consumer behavior are driving food and beverage companies to adapt packaging lines to meet new demands, such as bulk buying, sustainable packaging, and rapid product changeovers. Packaging machine builders need to develop versatile machines capable of quick adjustments to accommodate these trends.

Farason Corporation struggled to move heavy, irregularly shaped shampoo bottles on a fast production line. Traditional packaging solutions couldn't handle the load for their robot, leading to slower cycles and reduced productivity. By using custom AM solutions, Farason developed a lightweight, high-performance End of Arm Tooling (EOAT) that met production demands, allowing them to maintain high speeds and improve efficiency.

Why Additive Manufacturing is Important for Packaging

Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, is the process of creating objects by adding material layer by layer. In the food and beverage packaging industry, custom parts for the manufacturing line can be quickly and affordably produced using this method. Farason Corporation used additive manufacturing to create a custom quick-change mount plate for a vacuum gripper EOAT, resulting in a lightweight, robust part that met their immediate needs and allowed for easy future modifications.

Comparison between Additive Manufacturing and Traditional Solutions for Packaging Machine Builders.

Traditional manufacturing often involves long lead times, high costs, and limited design flexibility. In contrast, additive manufacturing (AM) offers rapid production of affordable, high-performance parts that can be customized for specific applications, from development and production to maintenance.

Suntory Products Limited has implemented Markforged 3D printers to create precise, high-strength parts for their packaging process. The introduction of these printers at the Haruna plant has led to a significant reduction in time and costs associated with outsourcing custom parts. The engineers are now able to design and produce jigs and covers in-house, ensuring that each component meets their exact specifications and can be produced on-demand.

Dealing with the increasing number of product variations and frequent packaging changes in the food manufacturing industry can be a challenging task for manufacturing teams. How can teams maximize the performance and flexibility of each production line when the equipment used last month may not be compatible with the packaging for the next month's version? How can they achieve faster changeovers to meet varying packaging needs and adapt to the demand-driven supply chain?

• 3D printing can help make custom robot tools faster and cheaper. By using 3D printers, companies can create specialized robot tools on-demand, cutting down on the time and money it usually takes to make them using traditional methods.
• 3D printing can make tools stronger and lighter. By using special materials, 3D printers can create tools that are as strong as metal but weigh less. This makes them easier to use and less likely to cause problems in a factory.
• 3D printing makes robots more versatile. By using lighter materials, 3D printers can create tools that are compatible with smaller, more flexible robots. This means companies can use robots in more places on their production lines. For example, a company might use a 3D printer to quickly create a new tool for a robot that picks up boxes. This would let the company change the size of the boxes the robot can handle without having to wait for a new tool to be made.

Solving Major Pain Points

3D printing can solve problems in the packaging industry.. Companies that make packaging often have trouble with the cost and time it takes to get custom parts made. Using 3D printers, these companies can make the parts themselves, which saves money and time. This also helps them keep the quality of their products consistent.

The positive outcomes that advanced manufacturing can drive on the factory floor.

• Increase Machine Performance and Reduce Cost
  
  By using 3D printers, companies can quickly create and change parts for their machines. This can help them make their machines work better and save money. For example, a company might use a 3D printer to make a new part that helps a machine work faster. This would let the company make more products without having to spend a lot of money on new equipment.
• Reduce Time to Market
  
  By using 3D printers, companies can create parts for their machines more quickly. This means they can introduce new products to the market faster and keep their production running smoothly.
• Deliver Spares and Upgrades Cheaper and Faster
  
  By using 3D printers, companies can create parts on-demand, which saves money and time. This is especially helpful for companies that need to make spare parts or upgrade their machines. For example, a company might use a 3D printer to make a new part for a machine that is broken. This would let the company fix the machine quickly without having to wait for a new part to be shipped.

Common Applications for Packaging Machinery

3D printing can make packaging machines better.

Custom parts made with 3D printers can be used in many different parts of packaging machines. For example, they can be used to make tools that grab and move products, manage cables and hoses, hold parts in place, and even make special containers for packaging.

One company, Farason Corporation, used 3D printing to make a special gripper for a robotic packaging machine. The gripper had a custom collar that helped it grab products more securely. The company also used 3D printing to make hose clamps for a robotic arm. These clamps helped keep the hoses in place when the arm moved.

These are just a few examples of how 3D printing can be used to make packaging machines more efficient and effective. By using custom parts made with 3D printers, companies can improve the performance of their machines and reduce downtime.

The future adoption and growth of additive manufacturing in packaging.

By using 3D printers, companies can create custom parts for their machines that are more efficient, cheaper, and faster to make. This can help them stay competitive in the packaging industry and meet the needs of their customers.

For example, a company might use 3D printing to make a new part for a packaging machine that helps it work faster. This would let the company make more products without having to spend a lot of money on new equipment.

With the ability to make high-quality parts quickly and affordably, 3D printing is becoming an important tool for the packaging industry.